Generation and Analysis of Viral Vector-Mediated Rodent Models for Parkinson's Disease.

The use of viral vector-mediated α-synuclein-overexpressing rodent models for Parkinson's disease has become increasingly accepted to study associated pathology and to use as a platform for therapeutic efficacy testing. We here describe methods to generate such models and how to analyze them by behavioral assessments, histological investigations, and examination of nigrostriatal dopaminergic function.